The Getty’s – Christmas Heard Round The World

If you’ve ever yearned for the good ol’ days of carol singing and communities gathered to fellowship and celebrate the uncontainable joy of Christmas, you need look no further than An Irish Christmas: A Celebration Of Carols.

Presented by modern hymn-writers Keith and Kristyn Getty, their tour has become somewhat of a holiday staple in the United States. This year, the 20-city tour includes such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, The Kimmel Center For The Performing Arts in Philadelphia and others before concluding at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in the Getty’s home-city of Nashville.

The tour, which was broadcast last year on public television, is an even grander affair than it has been in years past.

“The tour is much better this year,” says Keith Getty with a laugh. “Watching it on television from last year, you realize how much you’ve grown and developed. This year we’ve really developed the rhythm of the show. The first part is in keeping with the Irish Christmas Celebration we’ve had before. It’s very high energy with song and dance. The second half is more like a cathedral service, such as the service of lessons and carols performed at Kings College at Cambridge.”

This portion, highlighted by the reading of the Christmas story includes an audience sing-along of traditional and modern Christmas favorites including “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen;” “Joy Has Dawned;” “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” “Carol Of The Bells,” “O Children Come,” “An Irish Christmas Blessing” and “In Christ Alone.”